New Year’s Day sermon

“Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets” (Numbers 28:1-2, NASB).

The ancient Israelites had two calendars: a religious calendar and a secular one. This seventh month, on the religious calendar, was the first month from a secular standpoint and, thus, made this feast the Jewish New Year. Today, we refer to it as Rosh Hoshanah, which literally means “Head [or beginning] of the Year.”

There are some similarities between an American New Year’s Day celebration and Rosh Hoshanah. Many get January 1 off from work (primarily because most revelers are in no shape to work, after the antics of the previous evening). And, many people blow noisemakers at midnight instead of the ram’s-horn trumpet (“shofar” in Hebrew) that is still used in Jewish synagogues.

However, the similarities generally end there. Too many people treat the New Year as an excuse to get drunk and carouse. However, the new year provides special spiritual opportunities. The trumpet of Rosh Hoshanah gives us glimpses into God’s plan for Christians at the New Year. The ancient Israelites used the shofar for a number of reasons. Some of those functions are quite meaningful to consider as we enter a New Year.

One is confession and repentance. Joel 2:15 says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly,” and the following verses indicate that all God’s people were to plead for God’s forgiveness. Earlier in the same chapter, God says, “Even now…return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Many people make New Year’s resolutions. Christians should take every opportunity to look at our lives and discern if there are any areas where God desires change in us. The new year is certainly a good time to set spiritual goals for yourself, and to examine yourself and see if there are any sinful habits from which to seek deliverance.

The trumpet was used to call people to war. Throughout the Old Testament, armies blew trumpets to signal the beginning of a battle (e.g., Judges 7:19). As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons. We should commit ourselves anew at this time to battling Satan as he assaults us with temptations to sin and despair. We should also commit ourselves to engaging in spiritual warfare for the sake of our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. Let us each declare war against the forces of wickedness (see Eph. 6:12) in every area of our lives and world.

The trumpet is a symbol of divine judgment. In Revelation 8, seven angels were given trumpets with which to herald judgment. Throughout the Bible, trumpets were used to warn people of coming danger (see 1 Corinthians 14:8; Ezekiel 33:5). Have you ever considered the thought that every new day brings us one day closer to the return of Christ? Every new year is one less year before Jesus Christ returns; one less year before we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Let us take that seriously. At this time, how much have you done to spread the Gospel? How many people have heard from you the good news of everlasting life? Are you trying to prepare people to stand before the judgment seat?

Sadly, many Christians argue about when Christ will return, while ignoring the fact that millions, who are on Earth now, will die before that time. They do not have another seven or 700 years to make up their minds. Let us each evaluate our lives and see what we can do to spread the Gospel in this new year.

In a related sense, the trumpets also call us to look forward to the return of our Lord. “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31; see also 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

New Year’s Day is not just a time to change calendars. It is a time to look back and consider what we have done with the year God has given us. It is a time to look ahead, to make the necessary changes that will redeem the time God has given us. It is a time to remember where our lives have taken us so far, and to prepare for what God is offering us in our future.